Friday, February 11, 2011

A small playground in an inviting setting: Clivedon Park

Equipment: One playset with two platforms: one around 2 feet hight with some climbing and a double plastic slide, the other around 5 feet high with a ladder, straight and spiral metal slides, and fireman's pole. The two platforms are connected by a stretch of ladder-bottomed bridge, so parents will have to hoist tots who want to try the taller slides; under the set there's a small loop for crawling through. Swings nearby (2 strap and 2 bucket).material: modern resin & metal; scale: med. playset in large parkAges: 1-8?Surface: rubbery around equipment; grass elsewhereShade(0-3): 2Water: NOther: parkAccess: open (dawn - dusk?)

Impressions: Not bad for a small playground (although the gap between the playsets makes it hard for 2-4 year olds to take full advantage), but the bigger draw here is the shady tree-filled park with its many hills for running and climbing (or, in the case of our winter visit, carrying snow from here to there).Overall rating: 7

Tips for playground designers

Always aim high. Manufacturer estimates of appropriate ages to use their equipment appear to be based more on liability concerns than on the reality of kids on the ground. My two-year-old laughs in the face of your "5-12 only" warning! Littler kids don't mind having to grow into a few features of a playset, but insufficient challenge will remove any interest in playing there.

Pay extra for the plastic slides. Count this one double if your site has minimal shade -- there will be seasons in which a metal slide is entirely unusable for anything other than popping popcorn. That can undermine the whole outing. While I'm here, don't forget tunnel slides, which seem to be disproportionately popular, especially with the younger set.

The value of shade can't be overstated, especially for the smallest kids and/or for equipment (like swings) where they're likely to stay for a while. Planting trees over by the benches might look nice, but the ones by the equipment will really bring families back.

Don't forget crawlers! It's the rare playground that has anything at all for kids who crawl or can stand supported, and parents really appreciate those that do. Cement sculptures have always served this population, as do crawl-through tunnels of various types and low "nursery school" slides.